I really miss picking my nose. Its the little things that go first in these kind of situations, and picking my nose, usually in the car, used to be a bit of a hobby. But no more. I would be a danger to myself and others.
I don’t mean to belittle the scope of the crisis in which the world finds itself, but, as I sit at home, not picking my nose and, incidentally, washing my hands at least every hour as my app reminds me to do, I find myself with a familiar feeling.
Many of you reading this will know I read a lot and I’m a bit of a social media junkie. That means I’m prone to read too much about this virus, and given the irresponsible, hyperbolic approach taken by most commentators I thought I’d write something to help us get through this.
Some things to bear in mind when you’re reading, listening or watching virus coverage:
1.Bad news sells newspapers and attracts eyeballs: we see it every day in social media. The most popular posts are the most extreme so guess what people write ? Like slowing down to take a proper look at a car crash on a motorway, we can’t help ourselves. The media, bless them, know this and will use whatever tools they have at their disposal to feed your fear and persuade you to tune in for more ! If its the good news you’re looking for, wait for the sub heading of the fifth headline
2.For some this is their time: whether its a journalist, an academic or perhaps someone who can finally see a way to get their budget signed off, people will do whatever it takes to feed their ego, and if that means giving you a bad day or even panicking someone for no good reason, that’s a sacrifice worth making. It’s always worthwhile thinking through what’s motivating someone to say what they’re saying.
3.Some people love a good crisis: every family has one. They have a habit of breathlessly running into a room with the latest evidence of armageddon, and they go curiously quiet when things seem to be ok, actually. I wouldn’t deprive such people of their drama, but please don’t do it around me
4.Consequence free commentary: we all know a cynic. She’s always the one who takes an approach that she calls ‘realistic’ which inspires no one. If she’s right, she gets to be right, and if she’s wrong, no one remembers anyway. Making apocalyptic predictions are consequence free because no one comes back to you months later and holds you to account. But it does get you on the telly
5.People will make money from making a bad situation seem worse: they say consultants make money from convincing you your situation is worse than you think….but they have a plan. Thank goodness for McKinsey...or maybe not
6.We bring our biases with us: just like Brexit vs Remain, Democrats vs Republicans, we bring our biases to this debate too. For the virus I believe the two sides revolve around Big Deal vs Hoax. Either way, people present their own facts and data, and sometimes neither, but just their ‘gut feel’. I know I do it too, but we need to realise we’re doing it, and try to find the facts and understand what they’re telling us
7.Easy to forget how fast this has been: Italy are only into the start of their third lockdown week even though it feels to me like we’ve been talking about this for months. If the data is to be believed, there’s a chance its turning which would be great news ! If only the media told you that (see point 1)
8.Relatives beat absolutes: the numbers sound huge, and there is no doubt they are tragic, but numbers without context are meaningless. Context would help us understand how this compares to a flu epidemic for instance, or how many die in a given year. Very few people seem to know that more American soldiers died in World War 1 than Vietnam. Context matters, and when, like in Italy, hundreds did die but its still fewer than yesterday and the day before that, that is important and some comfort
So if all of that is understood where does it leave us ? What now ?
1.Realise we really are all in this together: there is a reason why all the governments are throwing stimulus at this only this time its being thrown at normal people and not the banks. Everyone has a stake in the economy getting back up and just as we all play a part in stopping the virus, we’ll all play a part in getting back to work
2.Be kind: when this is all over, we all need to think through how we want to be able to answer the question ‘what did you do in the war ?’, and the easiest way to have a positive answer for that is to be kind. Kind in your actions and kin in what you say
3.Feel the fear and do it anyway: its a scary time. No one knows how long this will go on for or how it will affect you. We all hate uncertainty but the fact is we have a choice again. We can sit in front of Netflix like a rabbi in headlights, or we can do something about this. It’s a personal choice
4.This isn’t D-Day: people (especially Boris) have a habit of likening this to the Second World War but this isn’t war. We don’t have bombs raining down on us. This isn’t the first half hour of Saving Private Ryan. That’s not to belittle the experience or the mortal danger which some people are in, but the Second World War is context but that’s where the parallel ends fortunately
5.This is the best kind of war: the ‘best’ thing about war is the way it brings people together behind a common cause with a common enemy. As I said, this isn’t war, and yet we are all united behind a common cause fighting a common enemy. If this is a way its the best kind - I can do it from my armchair; if we win no one dies; and there’s no enemy to empathise with or play football in No Mans Land
6.Look for the good news: its out there.#thekindnesspandemic #caremongering. To quote Aladdin its there if you just look. But if you’re one of those people who enjoy a good crisis, I’m sure you can find ways to avoid it
7.Be a beacon: like point 2, its up to you how you want to be remembered in any given circumstance. I’d like to be remembered as the guy with the good news, the funny meme, the interesting perspective. The guy who didn’t let it get him down and launched a new business anyway
There’s an excellent poem called ‘Attitude’ by Charles Swindoll which is how I’d like to end this blog:
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church....a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes.”
Quite.